Question

Researchers conducted an experiment for a new drug intended to treat a respiratory disorder. The test was undertaken over a one week period. During this time, three hundred participants lived and slept in a controlled environment and were continually monitored. Half of the participants were given no drug, but were simply monitored as a control group. The other half of the participants were given the proposed drug treatment. By the end of the study, the experimental group showed a 12% improvement in lung function over the control group. The researchers concluded that the drug is a valid treatment for the respiratory disorder.

Which of the following would be the best improvement to this experiment?
a. The sample size is too small to be representative of the general population; 3000 or more participants would be preferred.
b. The test should be conducted in an environment more representative of the participants' daily lives, otherwise the results won't be valid for real-world application.
c. The control group should be given sugar pills, and nejther group should be aware of whether or not they are part of the control group or the experimental group.
d. To adequately test the treatment would take more time; three months would provide more data concerning potential long term effects.

Answer 1

Implementing a double-blind study with placebo control is the best improvement to the experiment, as it minimizes bias and the placebo effect, ensuring that the efficacy of the drug can be accurately assessed. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best improvement to this experiment would be to ensure that the control group is given placebo treatments, such as sugar pills, and that neither the participants nor the researchers know who is in the control group or the experimental group. This type of experimental design is known as a double-blind study. Additionally, the experiment might benefit from being conducted in a real-world setting to determine the practical applicability of the drug treatment, which addresses issues like environmental influence on the drug's effectiveness.

However, the option that stands out as the most immediately beneficial is to implement blinding and use of a placebo, which will control for potential placebo effects and reduce bias. This is crucial for determining the true efficacy of the drug.